The return of violence in Northern Ireland I find particularly depressing.......... its not like the old days of 'The Troubles' in scale or intensity ....... but now random acts of disgusting terror aimed at totally innocent children and members of the public have returned....... mostly through dissident republican terror groups like The Real IRA ............ And some of the venom has returned to Orange Parades ........... I never understood the parades....... and I find it sickening that dissidents have broken with the peace process and again now think that mindless acts of violence will somehow bring about a united Ireland......... The IRA has made the move away from its past seemingly endless terror campaign .......... Its leadership now hold important posts in government..........

In the old days I had a love hate relationship with Belfast and Derry / London Derry (Stroke City) ........ I shot incredible images there........ It felt like an important story..... but the risk...... the tension...... the stress of it all......... Being a British Press guy on the Falls or the Shankill....... it was way tricky....... Orangemen / Apprentice Boys might spit on you or beat you up........ Cops might beat you up or British soldiers might blast you with plastic bullets....... Republican youth might beat you up........ and the real bad guys on both sides might just finish you off.......... it was a right stress..................

The tension had lifted from those Cities in the early years of the Blair backed peace process......... When i was there at what appeared to be the end of 'The Troubles'I found that hope had sprung up .......... It will be a terrible shame if the fear and stress returns............. Returns to the way it was back in the day.